It's Because We're Nakama!
by Tachibana Natsu
Summary: The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares. ((Just a bunch of ZoLu nakamaship drabbles based on songs. (Picture isn't mine) Warning: Short Chapters! PM me if you have a request. New Chapter: 11And It Hurt))
1. 1Looking Out For Me

_"You're looking out for me, you've got my back..." ~ True Friends by: Miley Cyrus_

* * *

**Genre: Friendship**

* * *

Zoro glared at the group of Marines that surrounded him, his cold eyes calculating before they charged him. Block, slash, stab, dodge, repeat. He knew there was a group coming at him from behind, but was too busy to deal with them. Zoro felt someone bump up against his back and a grin spread across his face.

"Nice to know you're looking out for me, Captain." He said as he shoved a Marine away. Luffy laughed and Zoro heard the sound of people yelping in pain.

"You know I've always got your back." Zoro smiled,

"Ya, I do." The firstmate agreed and the two nakama attacked


	2. 2 Never Have To Be Alone

_"I'm not alone and I never have to be..." ~This Song Saved My Life by: Simple Plan_

* * *

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/Angst**

* * *

An almost soundless suffling woke Zoro from his sleep. The firstmate opened his eye lazily just on time to see Luffy slip silently from the males' cabin. A frown formed on the swordsman's face; Luffy was never that quiet, unless of course the captain was sneaking out for a kitchen raid, but even then, the 19-year-old would drag his firstmate along. Something was wrong. Zoro got up and silently slipped out after his captain. The green-haired young man watched Luffy as the younger man climbed up into the crow's nest. With a sigh, Zoro followed.

* * *

Luffy was staring out across the calm ocean, a hand tracing the X-shaped scar on his chest with silent tears streaming down his cheeks when Zoro reached him. It made the swordsman's heart ache to see his funloving and happy captain in such a state.

"Hey, Luffy." The rubber man spun around, dashing tears off his cheeks, when Zoro said his name.

"Zoro... You should be asleep."

"So should you." Luffy turned back around and Zoro placed a hand on the 19-year-old's shoulder, "I had... a nightmare... I just kept watching _It _over, and over again, I could never reach _Him _on time..." The Straw Hat captain whispered. Zoro's features softened, he had a pretty good idea on what _It _was and who _He _was.

"Ace?" Luffy nodded slowly before burying his face in his hands,

"I went there to save him, and he just ended up saving me..." Luffy said quietly, "I just feel so..."

"Alone?" Luffy nodded, Zoro sighed, "You know, Luf," Said pirate looked up and at his firstmate, "You're not alone, and you'll never have to be." Luffy blinked as Zoro continued, "I'll be here if you ever need me." A small smile spread across Luffy's face,

"You're getting soft Zoro." Said man smiled a soft, sincear smile,

"I know." Both shared a laugh, "Now, how about you and I go raid Shitty-Cook's kitchen?" Luffy smiled and the two nakama did just that.


	3. 3Didn't Think Twice

_"I didn't think twice or rationalize because somehow I knew" ~ One in a Million by Miley Cyrus_

* * *

**Genre: Friendship**

* * *

"Luffy-kun?" Luffy opened his eyes and looked up at Vivi from the spot he had been napping in. The blue-haired princess was staring down at the starw-hatted teen.

"Ya?"

"Well, I was wondering... What do you think of ?" Luffy blinked,

"Zoro?" Vivi nodded, "Zoro is Zoro. When I first met him, he was tied to a pole." The captain lounged back, "I didn't really think twice about it, but I knew Zoro had to join my crew."

"He was damn persistant about it too." Both Luffy and Vivi looked up to see Zoro standing across from them, two fishing rods slung lazily across his shoulder. "Stubborn bastard, if I do say so myself." The green-haired 19-year-old said to Vivi, before turning to his captain, "Shitty-Cook said that if you want meat with your dinner, you're going to have to catch it." He said. Zoro tossed the younger teen a fishing rod, "C'mon Captain. Let's go catch us some fish." Luffy cheered and raced off, Zoro following lazily behind him. Vivi watched the two leave, a small smile on her face. She shook her head with a grin and walked the other way, leaving the two nakama in eachother's company.


	4. 4Lost But Not Lonely

_"I'm lost but I'm never lonely" ~ We are Unbreakable by: Hedley_

* * *

**Genre: Friendship/Humor**

* * *

Luffy and Zoro both stood on the edge of a cliff, staring down as the ocean's waves crashed against ragged rock-side. Zoro couldn't help but sigh and facepalm.

"Of course..." He muttered sarcasticly,

"Zooorooo!" Luffy whined. Zoro looked at the 17-year-old captain, who was pouting, arms crossed over his chest. "We're lost."

"No shit." The firstmate grumbled and looked around, "I'm sure we were heading for the moutain..."

"Chopper said the mountain was in the middle of the island!" Luffy added, a grin on his face,

"Shitty-Cook must've given us the wrong directions..."

"Or your sense of directions suck!" Luffy laughed, earning a glare from his green-haired nakama. "Well! At least we're not lonely!"

"What?"

"We may be lost, but we're not lonely!" The captain clearified, pulling a laugh from his swordsman, said swordsman smiled,

"True." Luffy nodded, "Should we try again?" Zoro asked, Luffy grinned and the two set off again.


	5. 5Pull Me Aside

_"You pull me aside when something ain't right" ~ True Friend by: Miley Cyrus_

* * *

**Genre: Friendship**

* * *

Zoro scowled as he ran through the halls of an abandoned pirate ship. They had found said ship floating in the middle of the ocean, completely abandoned, and of course, his idiot of a captain just had to run off to 'explore', but soething about the ship gave Zoro a bad feeling. The Strawhat firstmate turned the next corner on time to see Luffy about to get his head cleaved off from behind, swearing, Zoro dove forward and tackled the younger teen to the ground,

"Zor-" Luffy cut off as the axe imbedded itself in the wall where he had been standing not too long ago. Zoro glanced at his captain, the 17-year-old's eyes were comicly wide as he stared at the axe, "Thanks, Zoro..." Said man climbed off his captain, before offering his hand and helping the raven-haired teen to his feet.

"No problem-" A sudden glint to his left caught the swordsman's eye and he yanked his captain to the side and deflected an arrow with his sword (**Wado Ichimonji**). "This ship... We should get off." Zoro growled, gaze flickering around, looking for any further signs of danger.

"You're right." Luffy agreed with a nod, and the two nakama edged their way out of the ship carefully.

* * *

Back on the Thousand Sunny, both Zoro and Luffy lay on the lion figurehead.

"Oi, Zoro." Zoro grunted, simbolizing he was listening, "Thanks for pulling me out of the way."

"Something about that ship wasn't right." The firstmate stated. Luffy grinned and the two nakama went back to watching the sun set, calm smiles on their faces.


	6. 6You Gave Me Hope

_"Knocked down but you gave my hope" ~ We are Unbreakable by: Hedley_

* * *

**Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort**

* * *

Zoro scowled, fingering the bandages that covered his left eye. The green-haired swordsman already knew he'd never be able to see out of it again, and this caused him to growl, when he fought he alwayd felt unbalanced, and his left side was now his blind side. The swordsman suddenly thought of Luffy; his captain had just lost his brother, and in the 3d2y, Luffy had been _covered _in bandages, but of course, his stubborn bastard of a captain didn't let that keep him down and he had managed to get a message to his crew. Zoro frowned, stood up and picked up his swords. He had to become stronger. For himself, and, dare he sat it, Luffy.

"Again!" Zoro growled. Hawk-eye watched his apprentice, a small smile spreading across his stotic face as Zoro placed Wadō Ichimonji in his mouth.

"Good." And Zoro charged, a picture of his smiling captain in his mind. The swordsman was no longer fighting for his ambition or dream, he had, without relizing it, placed something else above that, his friendship with his stubborn, idiotic Captain.


	7. 7Scars

_"These scars on my heart I own them" ~ We are Unbreakable by Hedley_

* * *

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Friendship**

* * *

They were finally back together. After two long years, they were back. Luffy leaned against the side of the crow's nest with a sigh as he looked up at the sky.

"Luffy?" At the sound of his name being said, the Straw Hat Pirates' captain turned towards the source.

"Hey Zoro!" Luffy said with a grin plastered on his face, however, it became strained as his gaze landed on the scar that ran across his firstmate's eye, closing it forever so that it would never see daylight again.

"You mind if I join you?" The older man asked, Luffy patted the place beside him in a 'go ahead' gesture. With a small smile, Zoro sat down beside his captain, who in turn, closed his eyes and began to doze. Zoro sat in silence, studying the captain he hadn't seen in two years. His eye landed on the X-shaped scar that wasn't exactly hard to miss that marred Luffy's tanned chest. The green-haired firstmate clenched his fist, which had wrapped itself around his katana, when he felt a flare of anger spark in his chest; at the one who inflicted such a wound, and at himself, for not being there to protect the younger man when he needed it most. His own voice echoed in his head

**If I can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition I have is nothing but talk... **He hadn't been there to protect his captain, hell, he could have at least _helped_! Zoro growled in frustration.

"Maa, Zoro..." Said man's eye traveled from the scar on the raven-haired's chest, up to his dark eyes, which stared intently at him. Luffy continued to stare until a small, fond smile spread across his face, "It's not your fault." And with those four words, the heavy feeling that had rested on Zoro's chest lightened and he leaned back, a happy little smile on his face. He hadn't been there for his captain then, but he sure as hell would be here for him now.


	8. 8Beat But Not Broken

_"I'm beat but I can't be broken" ~ We are Unbreakable by Hedley_

* * *

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/bit of Humor**

* * *

Zoro prided himself on the fact that he didn't flinch when he felt the cold metal of the knife press against the sensitive skin of his neck. The green-haired 19-year-old saw Luffy's eyes narrow as the young captain glared at their captor, said captor laughed. He was insane.

"Who would've guessed! I caught myself Roronoa Zoro and 'Straw Hat' Luffy! What a day!" The man burst out laughing again and Zoro's eyes narrowed. Yup, totally and utterly insane. The laughter cut off suddenly and the man looked at Zoro with cold eyes, "Well now, Roronoa Zoro..." The knife was withdrawn from the former bounty hunter's neck. "You know why you're here-"

"No, not really." Zoro said, and was ignored as the insane man kept talking like Zoro never had in the first place.

"-but you're captain here," The man jerked his knife in Luffy's direction, "Well, he's only here because he wouldn't let go of your unconscious body." His voice dropped a few degrees, "He's expendable. Good thing he's wanted dead or alive." Zoro prided himself on the fact that the knife didn't scare him when it was pointed at him, but then the insane bastard turned and plunged the knife into Luffy's shoulder, earning a surprised yelp from the raven-haired teen, then the man pulled it out and plunged it into a different spot on Luffy's body and continued to do so until the boy screamed. Zoro flinched, causing their captor to smirk. "Oh? Hit a nerve did I?"

"You bastard!" Zoro glared at the man, who simply watched him intently,

"The boy's important to you, isn't he?" The man fiddled with the knife, "You killed someone important to me..." Zoro's eyes widened as he realized what the man was going to do.

"Don't!"

"Maybe I should return the favor."

* * *

Zoro stared wide eyed at the place where Luffy was slumped, bloody and beaten, against the wall of the cell they were in. The swordsman's cheek throbbed where the bastard had punched him, and his leg screamed at him from when he had been stabbed, but he was only worried about his captain. The man stepped away from Luffy's slumped shape, then laughed manically and walked back to Zoro, who only continued to stare at the teen across the cell, he didn't even register it when the man stabbed the knife into the wall near Zoro head and said;

"I'll just leave this here for later." Before leaving, Zoro's attention was only on his wounded captain.

"Luffy?" Zoro hated the way his voice cracked, "Luf? Luffy?!" Luffy stirred slightly,

"Zo...ro?" Luffy rasped, Zoro's frame relaxed a bit, but not by much.

"Oh god Luf... Are you okay?" Zoro knew his 'tough guy' facade was in millions of pieces, but at the moment, the swordsman didn't care about his stupid pride, his captain, the one he viewed almost as a little brother, had been tortured in front of him because some insane bastard had a vendetta against him. Him, not Luffy, him. Zoro was snapped out of his thoughts when Luffy let out an airy laugh, "Okay, wrong thing to ask..." Luffy nodded with a quiet laugh. The captain then used the wall to stand and make his way over to Zoro, who was left staring at the chains attached to the wall that had once held Luffy. "I'm not even going to ask..." The green-haired teen sighed and shook his head. Luffy grinned,

"He didn't use sea stones~"

* * *

The two were now limping through the halls, well, Zoro was limping, Luffy was resting on his back. Half way to where they were now, Luffy's wounds had caught up with him and the teen had collapsed, hence the piggy-back ride Zoro was now giving his captain. They stumbled as a sudden explosion rocked the ship. Luffy looked up, a lazy smirk on his face,

"That's our ride." The raven-haired boy drawled, earning himself a snort of amusement from his green-haired firstmate. "Chopper's gonna have a field day." Luffy mumbled, resting his chin on Zoro's shoulder.

"Luffy?! Zoro?!" A voice drifted down the hall and Luffy perked up,

"Usopp!" The 17-year-old called out before glancing at Zoro, "We should wait here. Don't wanna get lost, do we~?" Zoro huffed and placed his injured captain against the wall and sliding down so he was seated beside the younger teen and resting his wounded leg.

"Damn... Wish I knew where my katana were!" Zoro raged. Luffy just laughed at his firstmate's expense before patting him on the shoulder,

"We'll find 'em Zoro!" Luffy said with a grin. Zoro crossed his arms over his chest with a huff, prompting Luffy to laugh again, "Zoro's pouting!" The raven-haired teen teased.

"Am not!" Zoro snapped, Luffy laughed,

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"NOT!"

"Yes you are!"

"Nope!"

"Yes~" The two continued their playful banter until Usopp and Sanji-who had Zoro's katana- found them and they fell unconsious not long after that.

* * *

The Straw Hat Pirates watched quietly as their firstmate and captain slept, none too quietly, in the infermary, their wounds treated and bandaged.

"That was scary..." Chopper muttered, remembering when his injured and unconsious nakamas were brought in by a frantic Usopp and a worried Sanji-who later denied everything-.

"They'll heal and then go right back to being idiots." Sanji grunted, taking a drag from his cigarette. The others nodded as the watched Luffy roll over and mutter something along the lines of 'meat' and in response Zoro grunted quietly in his sleep saying something about booze. They all sweatdropped. Zoro and Luffy may be beaten, stabbed, and even burned, but they'd never be broken... And they'd always be idiots... _But then again... _Sanji thought, _They're our idiots._


	9. 9Time Of Our Lives

_"We have had the time of our lives_  
_Now the page is turned_  
_The stories we will write_  
_We have had the time of our lives_  
_And I will not forget_  
_The faces left behind_  
_It's hard to walk away_  
_From the best of days_  
_But if it has to end _  
_I'm glad you have been my friend_  
_In the time of our lives_  
_I'm glad you have been my friend_  
_In the time of our live_s"

~ Time of our Lives by Tyrone Wells

* * *

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Tragedy/Friendship/Family**

* * *

Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy stared down at the group of people who had come to witness his execution. There were people he recognized (Nami, Sanji, Brook, Franky, Robin, Usopp, Chopper, friends he had made during his travels, and so many from his home village) and so many others he didn't. His eyes scanned the crowd. Looking for the familiar head of green hair, as his own black hair swayed in the wind, free from his beloved straw hat, the one he had entrusted to his first mate to return it to it's former owner. _There! _His eyes lit up when he saw his swordsman, who had achieved his dream of being the best after defeating Hawkeye, standing at the edge of the crowd, a worn straw hat clutched to his chest like a lifeline. Their eyes met, and Luffy was surprised to see tears gathered at the edge of Zoro's single eye, a soft smile spread across the Pirate King's face, an apology, a thank you, as he remembered the last conversation the two had had, after the captain has given his life to the marines with the promise his crew would live...

* * *

_"What the hell were you doing?!" Luffy was driven to the ground by a punch to his jaw, delivered by none other than his green-haired first mate. Luffy stared at the older man who glared down at him._

_"Zoro-"_

_"How could you?! After all we've been through! You just throw you life away now! You just became the Pirate King for fucks sake!"_

_"I know. I know what I'm doing Zoro." Luffy grinned, "We've had the time of our lives, huh? You and me." He stood dusting off his shorts, still grinning "I'm glad that we're friends"_

_"Then why? Why give it all up?!"_

_"Because, it's time for a new chapter to start. It's hard to walk away from you, from the crew. But it's ending, and I'm glad that I was able to have the time of my life with you, Nami, Sanji, Robin, Franky, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, everyone else." Zoro looked shocked, "Remember what you told me? That everyone dies eventually? Well, it's my turn." Luffy smiled and reached to his head, removing his battered straw hat that held so many memories, both happy and sad, before placing it on Zoro's head, "Give this back to Shanks, would you? And tell him, 'Thank you' for me." Luffy looked towards the cabins, where the rest of his crew still slept, unaware of what was happening, "Tell the others too." Without another word, Luffy spun on his heel and marched towards a smaller boat._

_"Luffy!" Zoro's voice was oddly choked, as he reaches for his captain, who had already boarded the small wooden boat. The captain glanced over his shoulder,_

___"I"m glad you've been my friend, Zoro." Said man raced forward, obvious in his attempt to stop his captain, who just smiled and sent the boat plummeting to the water with a sharp tug on the rope._

* * *

Luffy's grin widened and he raised his voice to speak to the gathered crowd, "Being a pirate was the time of my life. My crew is my family. And it's time for the Second Great Pirate Age to start." He tore his gaze from his first mate and best friend to study the crowd of onlooker, "I hid all my treasure in one place, you want it? It's yours if you can find it." His eyes traveled back to his swordsman as the executioner placed his blade over the back of the Pirate King's neck, preparing to hack it from his shoulders. He mouthed the words, 'Thank you.', closed his eyes, widened his smile...

And the life of Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy came to an end, the smile still on his face.


	10. 10Break

_"Reach for my hand, 'cause it's held out for you, my shoulders are strong but you can cry on them too." - More Than A Band by Lemonade Mout_h

* * *

**Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst/Friendshi**p

* * *

Luffy was strong.

Zoro knew it... Hell, everyone knew it.

So watching the black-haired young man break, slowly but surely, pained him.

The younger man was deep in his own despair, and only Zoro could see it. Only Zoro saw how much of a broken man Luffy had become.

Watching him now, as he was wrenched from his sleep with a strangled cry, Zoro couldn't take it anymore.

The rubber captain was completely taken off-guard when Zoro suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. It was a little awkward at first since Zoro had never displayed this kind of emotion before, but Luffy didn't fight his first mate as he buried his head into the older man's strong shoulder and cried.

Luffy was strong.

But even strong people break sometimes.

And Zoro would be there every time, giving a strong shoulder to cry on.


	11. 11And It Hurt

_"It hurts when you're lonely and I'm standing right beside you" Hurt by Thousand Foot Krutch_

* * *

**Genre: Angst/Hurt/Friendship/Tragedy**

* * *

Ace's death had hit Luffy hard, Zoro, and everyone else on the crew could tell, even if their captain tried to hide it under fake smiles and laughs.

And it hurt.

So when Zoro heard choking sobs as he passed the crow's nest late into his watch, he knew who it was. He knew it was his captain, but he didn't know what to do.

And it hurt.

That realization was the only thing holding him back from going to comfort Luffy now. He was too ashamed of himself, and too scared of how the younger man would react, afraid of making things even worse.

And it hurt.

So he leaned against the wooden door, and listened to him cry in the darkness, hoping he could find the strength he needed without him.

And it hurt.


End file.
